We need to bear the fruits

If we are going to get out of here in the rapture we need to be without spot without wrinkle, and blameless. In short, we need the fruits of the Spirit. The Lord said "by their fruits ye shall know them." We need to talk more on the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

It is possible for the Lord to postpone his coming to another generation. Who are we to argue with him. Some said he is coming in the '70's and he didn't come. Others said he would come in the '80s, he didn't come. Now we are in the '90s: this is the last decade of this century in which every predictor had indicated we should not get out of. We are expecting the Lord to come. In the 70's we were not even expecting to get married and have children before the Lord would come. He has not come yet. What could be the reason? You can said, maybe he actually planned his coming for another generation. Because, if you look at the history of the hebrews as they came out of Egypt, what can we say was the excuse for that generation not to enter into the promised land other than their mistakes in the wilderness? However, maybe that was the plan of God for them; we can say it was already foreknown by God that they would not enter the promised land.

Remember God told Moses to take the people out of Egypt and lead them to the promised land. He didn't tell Moses: "but you will not lead them into the promised land". God knew before he sent Moses, yet he didn't tell Moses everything. He didn't tell Moses that it would take forty years from Egypt to the promised land: he didn't say that! You can say, "it was their mistake: they made mistakes in the wilderness! They didn't believe God!" Yes, that was what was recorded! However if we look again we can say it was foreknown by God. God already knew they would not enter the promised land, but he allowed them to lead their children to the entrance of the land. God said ten times they disbelieved him until he said "that is it! you will not go in!" And yet we can say it was pre-ordained. It was foreknown by God - that was how it would be.

Similarly we can look at our generation and say God has sent prophets to prepare his elect since the middle of this century. In the days of Evangelist William Branham, it was even recorded that an angel came down before the audience where he was baptizing people by the river, and said something like: "as John the baptist forerun the first coming of the Lord, your message will forerun the Son of God." Bro. Branham's message is still going on in books though he is dead since 1965. Like many other ministers in his days, he predicted that everything may be over by 1977. Ofcourse the Lord is still coming. But if he does not come in our generation what shall we say? Could it be said of this generation that it failed God also, like the generation of the hebrews which left Egypt, and so they could not enter into the promised land?

When we ponder on these things, we should just say , "Lord, I fear thee. What can I do?"

"Fear the Lord ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him."

Even if God foreknows this thing -- that he is not coming in their generation, but he wants them to get the next generation ready -- is there a way that I can be an exception? God could have known that he won't come in this generation and like a wise man he will not tell everything he knows. "The foolish uttereth all his heart but the wise keepeth it in till afterwards." God didn't tell Moses that Moses would lead them for forty years but would not lead them in. However, there were two men of that generation who were exempted by God and due to their own faithfulness towards the things of God, they were allowed to cross over into the next generation. Joshua and Caleb were of the generation which God refused entry into the promised land. But they were specifically different. We can say they feared God like the bible wanted. They had faith in God. That is all he wants from us; that is all he is calling us to have. Then, if the Lord is not coming in my generation, can I be faithful enough to be allowed by God to wait-through to the next generation? That is now my challenge!

Remember Noah. God told him the flood was coming. God did not tell him how long before the flood would arrive. God told him to prepare an ark and he did, and the ark was ready perhaps for some years. Perhaps his children grew up to become mature men while he was still on the project to build the ark. People he preached to could have died and passed on while Noah was still preparing the ark. They would have said "well, where is this flood of Noah,?" It did not come in their lifetime.

What I am saying is this: whatever caused God to postpone the entry into the promised land in the days of Moses, whether the people's offences or God's pre-ordination, God still left room for exceptions and changes, as we saw in the case of Joshua and Caleb. You are to remain faithful in your walk with him and God can pick you up single-handed or make you wait-through to the next generation! I believe that God took Enoch single-handedly, and also took Elijah single-handedly, and he can do the same today even though the rapture is not now.

So, if God had it in mind that the rapture is not for this generation, what can I do to make myself an exception before God? I want to be permited by God to wait through to the next generation. He has to specifically honour you for that. You may have to do something special to please him like Joshua and Caleb stood for God. This will lead me to talk on the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

What does the Lord look for in us? Fruits! Fruits of the Holy Ghost! If we have the fruits manifested as God said, and we are faithful in this way and fear him as the scripture has said, "there is no want to them that fear him." (Psa.34:9 ). The Lord himself said "Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my saying he shall never see death!" (Jn.8:51). When we have done our part, we can say, Lord, do your own part: keep me to the next generation if you are not coming in this generation. That is my challenge! To please God and be permited by Him to wait through to the generation in which the rapture will take place, because I want to go away from here in the rapture. I believe Enoch must have had such faith and held unto God; knowing that it will still be almost 4000 years ahead, God took him away that he should not see death! Folks, that is what it means to walk with God and to please God. But what does God look for in us? Fruits! Fruits of the Spirit! Therefore, we need to look for the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life.

Apostle Peter wrote: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge tempetance; and to tempetance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if this things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. " (2Pet.1:3-8).

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Gal.5:22-23).

Let us be able to say "Lord, I don't have anything else to present to you except these fruits of righteousness. " Let's search ourselves daily and make sure we are bearing the fruits of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Bro. Julius Adewumi

Gospel Distribution Ministry